Imagination, an essential part to any active mind. The turning gears and pounding pistons of the ever working mind will push till the very end, but not unchangeable. Different experiences of life and the many things one will learn changes how these gears and pistons work. Some simply keep a one two pattern and have life be a simple well oiled machine, as others tend to send the system into overdrive and find new and more advanced ways to make the system run more efficiently. These changes in life make up who we are and what we think. Many different machines now exist out there, but it seems that they essentially fall under the same pattern. Live life as a child, go through school, ascend to an adult, acquire a career, have a family, grow old, and die...
These are natural, and are nothing to be ashamed of. If one wants a simple life, take it. Live your life the way you want to, but some want more. Some minds take the essentials and make them a long and grueling task, as to make there life more than just another open and shut case. Some will seek fame, others will seek knowledge, and even power. This leads to a minds desire to dream. A dream is the final output of the mind factory. Once achieved, the machine can rest. Slow down and keep the system running smoothly. This desire will drive the mind into never before conceived heights, and this ability still continues to astound me. Some notable achievements of these minds are the many inventions we use and the many freedoms that has been given to us. Many books, speeches, and many other powerful forms of media have been made by these dreams, and I cannot wait to see more develop over the years.
Now, as powerful as the mind is, it is the most fragile thing I have ever witnessed. Even the smallest little bump in the wrong direction could send the system over the edge, and once that system is off off-kilter, it is almost impossible to fix. So one has to handle constant maintenance in order to keep everything in check. It's difficult, but not impossible. A weak mind faced with the right situation could easily send one into never ending madness, anger, depression, delusions, false truths, and many many more dangerous states of mind. As I have always believed, a mind is something one cannot be careless with, and should treat it with the respect it deserves.
So... What does all of this have to do with a pink equine anyways? Many things actually. This could apply to any of the main six, but I will focus on Pinkie Pie. Despite her mind being conceived by many to be a jumbled mess of utter nonsense and child wonder, I have come to understand her to be the one of the strongest I have ever seen. Maybe not with intelligence, but for what she lacks in smarts she makes up for in quick simple thinking. All with an optimistic outlook on life as a whole, but not blindly. Blind optimism could also be seen as form of denial, and denial is not healthy. At first, it seems like the best answer, but that weight will accumulate on the mind and someday crush it. Pinkie's optimism is very unique, as it doesn't sugar coat anything. She has achieved what I believe to be called "optimistic realism".
Optimistic realist looks at life, clearly seeing all the problems, and accepting it. Even after seeing what all the horrible things life had to bring, she could still find a reason to smile. Now THAT is a special talent! Many seem to have forgotten how to see things like this, and it saddens me. That bright and happy attitude is infectious, and brings smiles to those around her. That in return, also brings a smile out of her. If just for a moment, you saw the world a little better than before, she accomplished her goal.
Her goals and dreams do not fall under the natural essentials as mentioned earlier. Her dreams and wants do not desire for her, but for others. Helping another life reach its goal is all she really wants, and making that happen is what keeps her going. The task is draining sure, but nonetheless rewarding, but this way of thinking comes with consequences. Due to her dreams being the dreams of others, she is never at rest. The gears and pistons running in her mind are always at maximum capacity, therefor making her energetic personality. Added with her youth being dull and lifeless, most of the childhood wonder and exploration was taken from her and never fully expressed. Sure, she had wonderful life with her sisters, and after her first party for her family was a success she no doubt became happier and lived a fuller life. That would explain her behavior as an adult to seem childish.
But her past sill made its mark...
This haunts Pinkie even to this day, she doesn't show it due to the fact that she does not want anyone worrying about her. The never ending sadness that was her early youth will always remind her what it was like to not smile, and she never wants to be like that again. So she tries to avoid situations that might cause her sadness or dismay, and when confronted with these situations, she tends to be little different. She shows her more serious side and tries to fix the problem immediately. This way of thinking could lead to her hurting herself as she forgets her own well being. This is dangerous, that way of thinking has landed her in situations that has almost gotten her killed. As this is realized by her body and mind, she eventually developed her "Pinkie Sense". As stated by Lauren Faust herself, earth ponies are naturally more connected to the earth as a whole. As a kind of "force" to be simply put. With her special way of thinking and her disregard for her well being, her body developed this system to warn her of upcoming dangers. The system is strange and very specific with the different twitches and flops. These accumulated as Pinkie's body discovered the dangers that effect her the most. Natural body instincts will also accumulate this ability as well, but Pinkie has reached a whole other level.
Despite all of these defenses, it is not impenetrable. Upon reaching a certain point, she can no longer fight. Her mind finally collapses and gives in to her built up anger and sadness. Her bright and bubbly attitude vanishes, and she is only left with the pain she once experienced as a child. Her body changes to reflect this, as her poofy mane straightens and the tone of her entire body changes. Now in another state of mind, Pinkie has changed entirely. This new attitude and look has been simply given her full name "Pinkamena Diane Pie". While she is "Pinkamena" her outlook becomes more dark and cynical. Dropping her optimism and replacing it with pessimism, her hatred for everything around her accumulates as she falls apart. This is a very rare state for Pinkie, as she is only like this when she is felt betrayed and hated by the very same friends and acquaintances she worked so hard to make happy. Just to only hurt her in the end.
At this point her minds gears and pistons are running at different speeds, making her thought patterns even more of a jumbled mess than before. The very dreams she had have been crushed leaving her to sob into the pieces. In this state, she very... unbalanced. Even going as far to naming none living objects and giving them a voice. As many know, those items and names are as follows...
Madame le Flour: a sack of flour
Rocky: a pile of rocks
Sir Lintsalot: a clump of lint
Mr. Turnip: a bucket of turnips
These "characters" seems to have been with Pinkie for along time. Most likely being the replacement of lack of friends as a child. She talks to them and lets there words effect her as it was a living creature although it's all in her head. At that point, Pinkie needs to talk to someone immediately. If left unchecked, she could spiral out of control and be lost forever in her sadness and anger. She might yell at you, she might even hurt you, but understand that is her weakest moment and she needs more help than ever.
After talking with her, she just might open up to telling whats wrong. Helping her resolve the situation is the best option, as this yields with her quickly regaining her happiness. After regaining her happiness she will act like nothing ever happened and go back to just simply being Pinkie. Her very way of thinking is hidden behind all of the childish acts and innocence, and if one could look past those, the could see a very emotionally unstable mare. One with the desire to keep others from feeling the pain she has to feel everyday, even if it hurts her in the end.
In conclusion, Pinkie is the wisest mare I have ever seen. With no matter what situation, she could keep a cool head and keep her emotions in check. The crazy antics are the proof that she is still going strong, and that nothing in the world can break her spirits.
"Wisdom and intelligence is truly a gift and a curse. The more one knows of what the world truly is, the more it brings pain and suffering. So I play the fool to feel happy. As happy as I was when the world was still simple to me, all those years ago in my youth...- Author
Author's Note
This very way of thinking is something that me and her share. To almost a tee. That is why Pinkie is and will always be my favorite character. Just because we act childish, just because we seem to lack common sense, does not mean we lack any intelligence. It just means we found a way to still be happy even after facing the truth of the world...
And is that really so bad?
